Blood Moon
by midnightnightfury1
Summary: When Sheila is desperate for the cure for her zombie-ism in order to keep her family safe, new information in the Serbian text reveals that the only potential cure requires a very unique ingredient. Meanwhile something is lurking in the shadows and it has it's eyes set on Abby.
1. Reality Bites (Jerry)

Sheila snarled, fending off her oncoming attacker as Joel readied his hatchet to deal the killing blow. "I don't care what you think is wrong, I'm hungry so I'm going to eat my dinner!" snarled the zombie who appeared to be wearing a plumbers uniform with a patch that appeared to read the name "Jerry" under all of his victim's bloodstains.

"Well your meal was an innocent man, what had he ever done to you?" yelled Sheila.

"He was just at the wrong place at the wrong time, or the right time for me I guess." chuckled Jerry with a smirk.

"You're a monster, he was just a high school teacher and he never hurt anyone!" cried Abby, as Eric held her back and she buries her face into his shoulder to avoid looking at the grisly sight.

"Abby stay back, this man is beyond convincing!" shouted Joel.

"Am I little girl? What about her?" Jerry laughed, gesturing to Sheila.

"Leave my wife and daughter out of this!" yelled Joel.

" Why, she eats people just like me," smirked Jerry.

"I only eat criminals not innocent people!" scoffed Sheila

"It's still eating people, no matter who they are. People are people, so what's the difference if it's a serial killer, a bank robber, or even your own daughter?" said Jerry with a grin, showing his blood-stained teeth.

"You'll never touch Abby! Not while I'm alive!" shouted Eric clutching Abby closer and Abby looks up in shock at Eric's statement.

"That can be fixed, I am still hungry and that guy tasted like coffee, tobacco, and sadness so I'd be up for sampling someone else," said Jerry with a laugh.

"No!" Abby gasps, hugging Eric tightly and burying her face into Eric's chest looking for the comforting sound of Eric's heartbeat.

How dare you! You will not touch Eric or my daughter, ever!" snarled Sheila, preparing to strike.

"That's it, you're going down! No one threatens my family!" shouted Joel, brandishing his hatchet.

"You view me as part of your family?" stutters Eric.

"Of course kid, you're like the son I never had-" says Joel emotionally

"Plus Abby seems to like you, so you must be something special." says Sheila in a peppy manner before going back to her fighting stance.

"Aww, how sweet, I think I'm going to be sick," says Jerry mockingly.

"Shut up man, not cool, we were having a family moment," says Joel with hurt in his voice.

Without warning, Sheila charges Jerry and the two go rolling until the much larger Jerry tosses Sheila several feet away, where she lays stunned.

"Sheila!" cried Joel

"Mom!" cried Abby

"Abby stay back!" shouts Joel as he charges Jerry.

Joel manages to hit Jerry with a hatchet blow, but then the hatchet becomes stuck in Jerry's chest.

"Damn it!" shouts Joel.

"What a shame" states Jerry before grabbing the hatchet handle and pulling Joel's hands off the handle before grabbing him and tossing him several feet as well, knocking Joel unconscious, before wrenching the hatchet out of his chest.

"Dad, no!" cried a struggling Abby trying to escape Eric's embrace.

"Now it's your turn girly," says Jerry calmly as he stalks towards Abby and Eric.

"You're not touching her!" shouts Eric angrily standing in front of Abby, making sure to keep himself between Jerry and Abby.

Jerry stalks towards the pair when Eric turns toward Abby and whispers. "Listen Abby, you need to run, I'll distract him. Get to the car, you'll be safer there."

"No, I'm not leaving you here, you'll be killed. This isn't like you!" cries Abby through her tears.

"People do crazy things when they're in love," says Eric trying to hold back the tears.

"How sweet, now, moment's over, it's dinner time!" laughs Jerry manically.

"Abby, you need to leave now!" cries Eric beginning to panic for Abby's safety.

"I'm not leaving you! You'll be killed!" cries Abby hysterically.

"Listen to me Abby, no matter what happens to me, you have to get out of here. Someone has to make sure this man gets caught and to make sure no one finds out about your mother and father's roles in it all. I love you, Abby." Eric says full of emotion.

"Eric don't do this!" Abby cries, "I-". Eric cuts Abby off with a kiss.

"Go Abby, please!" pleads Eric as a stunned Abby listens. Abby kisses Eric back before sprinting towards the car.

"Come back here little girl!" shouts Jerry as he sprints towards the fleeing Abby, but before he can pass Eric, Eric whips out a concealed kitchen knife that was strapped to his leg, and side tackles the larger man, taking Jerry by surprise and sending them both rolling.

"I don't think so! Not on my watch!" shouts Eric during the struggle.

"You prepared to die for her boy?" mocks Jerry.

"If that's what it takes!" shouts Eric as he stabs the knife into Jerry's neck. Abby watches this from the car and turns on the ignition.

Jerry twists around pinning Eric into a bear hug, Eric still clutching the knife embedded in Jerry's neck. "You prepared to watch him die girl?" shouts Jerry to a terrified Abby.

"Don't do it Abby! Don't fall for it, just drive and don't look back!" gasps Eric as Jerry begins to crush his chest, making it hard to breathe.

"Suit yourself," says Jerry casually as he sinks his teeth into Eric's shoulder, right at the base of his neck.


	2. My Lifeline

"Ahhh!" screams Eric in pain.

"Nooo!" screams Abby in horror.

Abby sits stunned, unsure of what to do. It had started out as just a normal morning, well normal for Abby, meaning having breakfast with Eric then meeting up with her parents for zombie meal planning. Eric and Abby would sit side by side, Eric checking police records for criminals living in the area, Abby cleaning the weapons from the previous hunt, while Joel and Eric discuss the pros and cons of each potential meal option, and Sheila and Abby smiling at each other over Abby's happiness at her long time coming relationship with Eric. It hadn't even been a month since Abby had snuck into Eric's room and crawled into bed with Eric that first night after finally coming to terms with her feelings after seeing Eric willing to sacrifice his own life in order for Abby to run, his statement distracting the zombie long enough for Abby to stab him, where he dropped dead to the floor beside his friend. The two then cleaned up in silence still stunned and shaky after what had just happened. Both decided to turn in early that night, Abby looking out her window just to make sure Eric made it home, even though it was just next door. It was that night that the nightmares started, always a little different but always ending the same way. That zombie killing Eric because she wasn't quick enough, and then Sheila being framed for the murder and being dragged away. They'd comforted each other every night after that, sometimes at Eric's house sometimes hers, always curled up together watching videos on Eric's computer until the pair fell asleep. Her parents were only okay with it because they trusted Eric, and because they had heard Abby's screams during nightmares, something only Eric could snap her out of, all while they could only watch, feeling guilty that they are the ones that left the pair home alone that day when those zombies forced entrance into the house. Eric was Abby's lifeline, the only one Abby could believe when he said it would be okay, and for Sheila and Joel he was the rock, the voice of reason for the entire family when they were all freaking out.

Now Eric's life was in danger, and she needed to be the one with cool calm and collected head. She had a difficult choice in front of her, if she hits the gas and tries to run over Jerry she risks hitting and killing Eric but if she doesn't she may just see her first real boyfriend get ripped apart and eaten right in front of her. However before she has the chance to make her choice, Sheila slams the ax into Jerry's head, killing him instantly. As Jerry collapses, he lets go of Eric and his corpse hits the ground. Eric remains standing for a second before staggering a few steps and collapsing onto his side.

"Eric!" cries Abby as she gets over the shock and jumps out of the car and sprints towards the collapsed Eric and her mom. Once Abby reaches Eric, Sheila drops the unconscious Joel's ax and goes to check on Joel and try to bring her husband back into consciousness. "Eric, Eric! Please speak to me! Say something, anything!" cries, Abby. Eric's eyes flutter open as Abby grasps his hand.

"Ugh, what happened?" moans Eric as he regains consciousness and opens his eyes. "Abby, what's wrong? Why are you crying?" asks Eric as he looks into Abby's tear-stained eyes.

"Because of you, you big dork," says Abby with a pained chuckle. "You got hurt protecting me, and it's all my fault!" cries Abby as the tears fall once again.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry, but I don't regret what I did," says Eric weakly. Sheila and Joel appear and they rush over to Eric and Abby.

"What happened here?" says a stunned Sheila.

"It's Eric, he got hurt saving me...that man, he wanted to kill me and...and...Eric he, he distracted him while I ran. But then that monster bit him and it's all my fault!" cries Abby hysterically.

"Baby it's not your fault, and none of us blame you, it's Jerry's fault," says Sheila comfortingly.

"Did you say he was bitten?" asks Joel quietly.

"Yeah...on my shoulder…it severed my jugular..." gasps out Eric. Sheila and Joel look at each other before Joel pulls down the collar of Eric's shirt, revealing a bloody bite mark on Eric's shoulder.

"Oh no," says Sheila.

"Hey, kid you're going to be okay," says Joel attempting to comfort Eric.

" Sheila, if I don't survive this, please, tell my mom I'm sorry. You were like a second mom to me, and her friend, so I think it would be better for her to hear it from you" mutters Eric.

"Of course honey," says Sheila calmly, trying to hold back the tears.

"And Joel …" gasps eric.

"Yeah kid?" says Joel somberly.

"You were like the dad I never had, and thank you for that," says Eric, smiling weakly.

"Anytime, kid. It was a pleasure," says Joel with a strained smile, trying to hold back the tears.

"Joel," whispers Eric.

"Yeah Eric?" murmurs Joel.

"I almost forgot there's a box on my bookshelf with four letters…everything is said inside them, I had written them in case something like this ever happened to me." breathes out Eric.

"Eric, don't say that, you're going to be okay." sobs Abby as she clings to his hand like it's a lifeline. Eric's hand goes slack, and as his vision fades to black all he can hear is Abby's pained scream.


	3. On a Knife's Edge

Abby watched in horror as Eric's eyes rolled back before his head lolled limply to the side. "Eric...Eric! Eric please wake up, you have to wake up!" Abby sobbed lightly shaking his shoulder as she clutched his hand

"Baby, we are so sorry, this was never supposed to happen," Sheila said quietly to her daughter, her head hung low.

"Mom, what are we going to do?" Abby mumbled, shaking.

"I'm sorry honey, I don't know. Poor kid, he didn't deserve this." mumbled Joel mournfully. Sheila looked away, tears in her eyes as she picked up Joel's hammer-knife, grasping it tightly. Unfortunately Sheila's actions don't go unnoticed by Abby.

"Mom, what are you doing?" stuttered a horrified Abby.

"Sweetie, we have to do this. He's been bitten, there's no other way!" replied Sheila, her eyes growing misty.

"No, you're wrong! He's going to wake up and he's still going to be Eric. There's no way you're killing my boyfriend!" screamed Abby in hysterics.

"Abby, your mother's right, we can't afford to let another zombie loose...we have to end this now, before it has the chance to begin," said Joel between the tears.

"And what makes Eric different from Ron and Jean, or even Gary?" growled Abby, her feelings of betrayal laced in every word.

"Honey, you have to believe us, we don't want to do this either! There's just no other way, another Zombie, especially our neighbor would lead the Knights right to your mother, and they'd realize that I'd infiltrated them as a zombie as well, then they'd kill us all. We just can't afford that risk." pleads a desperate Joel trying to reason with Abby without breaking down himself.

"And if it had been me?" mumbled Abby, stroking Eric's hand with her thumb.

"What?" said a startled Sheila.

"I said, what if it had been me? What would you have done if I'd been the one to be bitten? Would you have 'controlled the problem before it could begin' to?" snarled Abby, venom prevalent in her voice.

"No honey, of course not!" gasps a horrified Sheila.

"Then why doesn't Eric deserve the same chance? Doesn't he deserve the chance to choose whether he wants to be like you guys or… or…" sobs Abby, unable to even finish the sentence.

"Sheila, Abby does have a point. I mean the kid has always kept a level head despite everything that he's seen, and the voice of reason for all of us in this operation, including Abby. Maybe he'll be okay as one of us, I mean Jean only slipped up once with you there, and you kept her from killing anyone else without your permission. And Ron,well he's Ron and he eventually got his act together, at least when it came to his, ya know, meals and he hasn't bitten anyone since that guy Abby killed. I'm sure our level headed Eric will be fine, I mean assuming he wants to be like us, how bad can he be compared to Ron?" pleads Joel.

"Come on mom, dad agrees. Can we keep him?" said Abby putting on a smile, as if she's asking to keep a stray puppy she just found. The irony of the cliche phrase isn't lost to any of the Hammonds and they all let out a chuckle in an attempt to break the somber mood.

"I guess, as long as your father and I are the only ones who get to feed him, you'll have to make sure there are no slip ups." said Sheila smirking, but the seriousness in her eyes and tone isn't lost to Abby.

"I promise mom. Eric has helped me so much in these past few months, I love him and we only just started dating, I'm not losing him now, and hopefully not anytime soon," said Abby, growing hopeful.

"Abby," said Sheila, looking at Abby.

"Mom, Dad, I've got this. Eric and I will get through this, all of us will," said Abby confidently as she locks her gaze with her mother, daring her to object.

"Alright, fine, but we've gotta make this quick. I'll stay behind to clean this up, and get rid of Jerry. Joel, you take the kids home and get Eric set up in the guest bedroom. Abby, you need to get Doctor Wolf on the phone since she's the only medical professional that knows about our little 'ailment', but first Joel, we need to do something about that wound. Joel, we'll need the lighter from our cleanup kit in the trunk and a piece of metal," said Sheila falling into her pre zombie all business mindset.

"I'm on it!" shouts Joel as he jumps up and races towards the Range Rover.

"Wow mom, I'm impressed," said a sniffling Abby.

"This is a situation we hoped would never happen, and looks like I need to step up and be the voice of reason this time," Sheila said, her confidence masking the deep terror for Eric that she felt deep down.

"I've got it!" shouts Joel as he sprinted back from the car towards Sheila.

"Thanks baby, now for the hard part," Sheila said, putting her head down, dreading for what was to come.

"I'm sorry but all I could find that was small enough was this pocket knife," Joel said, breathing heavily, as he handed his wife the lighter and the pocket knife, as well as some bandages from the first aid kit.

"It will have to do. Abby, honey, you should really go call Doctor Wolf. Your father and I have to stop the bleeding and I don't think you want to see what we have to do," Sheila said grabbing her daughter's bloodstained hands in hers.

"Mom, I'm not leaving him. Someone is going to have to keep him calm if wakes up, and it's what he would do for me," said Abby sternly as she locked eyes with her mother, silently daring her to argue.

"Abby, please," begged Sheila.

"Honey are you sure about this?" asked Joel quietly.

This is something you don't want to see!" plead Sheila, looking at Joel to back her up, only for Joel to shrug his shoulders.

""Mom stop, I'm staying and you can't change my mind so let's get this over with so we can save Eric!" Abby shouted angrily.

"Alright, you heard her. Joel, heat up the knife, Abby grab his shoulders," said Sheila, once again in full survival mode. Joel quickly heated up the knife and once he deemed it hot enough, he passed it to Sheila. "Perfect, alright Joel you grab his legs, Abby you got his shoulders and arms?" called out Sheila after touching the hot knife blade lightly.

"We're ready," said Abby, her voice strained.

"Okay, here goes nothing" Sheila said nervously trying not to look at her daughter's pained expression as she placed the hot blade into the wound on Eric's neck.

Before Sheila had the chance to finish cauterizing the wound, Eric's eyes shot open as he let out a piercing howl of pain before his eyes rolled back and he went limp once again.

"Eric!" cried Abby now absolutely hysterical after hearing Eric's pained scream.

"Sheila, hurry!" shouted Joel, also shaken by Eric's brief reaction.

"Alright, almost done!" shouted Sheila, placing the knife blade in the wound once again, cauterizing the wound as best she can to slow the bleeding. She quickly wrapped the wound in a few layers of bandages. "Okay, quickly get him to the car, the bleeding's slowed but I don't know how long until the wound reopens!" shouted Sheila, spurring Joel and Abby into action.

The two dragged Eric to the car, Joel carrying his torso, Abby his legs as Sheila began the clean up. However amidst their panic all of them seemed to miss one detail, when Eric had briefly awoken all three had tried to seal the wound wound as quickly as possible they had missed the faintest flash of yellow in Eric's eyes.


	4. Didn't Deserve This

"Hello, yes Doctor Wolf?... Yes, it's Joel Hammond, and we've got a problem...No, not Sheila, it's actually Eric...No Sheila did not bite him! Some random Zombie did...No we've decided not to you know...yes...perfect, how soon can you be here?... Late tomorrow morning...yes that works...it too Sheila about 12 or 15 hours...Near the neck...We've stopped the bleeding…Sheila and I don't need to worry...Yes, Sheila bit me...No Abby's fine...Keep her away?...That's going to be difficult...Yes we are prepared if it comes to that...See you then," said an exhausted Joel wrapping up his phone conversation with Doctor Wolf.

"Honey, what'd she say?" whispered Sheila.

"She's calling in a favor so she'll meet us at the house late tomorrow morning. She says to keep Abby away from him though, since he was attacked rather than having eaten the clams, so he could be violent when he transforms," mutters Joel, his voice cracking at the thought.

"That's going to be difficult. They haven't left each other's sides since those two zombies got into the house!" argued Sheila.

"Well Sheila, I don't think we have much of a choice, not unless you want to risk Abby getting bitten, or worse, killed! I don't like it either, but you and I both have no idea how Eric will react once he turns," plead Joel.

"Ugh, I hate it when you're right," grumbled Sheila rolling her eyes and pouting like a child.

"Now the real question is, how are you going to break it to her?" whispered Joel and the couple glanced in the back seat watching Abby stroke Eric's hair, oblivious to anything but the boy draped across her lap.

"Me, why me? Why can't you tell her!" gasped Sheila with mock betrayal.

"Because, you're her mother, boy troubles are your department, even if those troubles involve explaining why she can't cuddle with her flesh eating boyfriend!" whined Joel.

"Dam it, even I can't argue with that one," grumbled Sheila as their car pulled in front of their home.

"Alright, we're here. Sheila you get Abby upstairs, and I'll get Eric down to the basement," ordered Joel.

"Oh, sexy. I like it when you go all assertive," purred Sheila.

"Sheila focus!" groaned Joel, trying to keep it together.

"Ugh fine, but once this is all over, you and I are testing that new endurance of yours." whined Sheila as she unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out of the car. Reluctant to face her daughter, Sheila took a deep breath and pulled open the door. The sight that met her was heartbreaking for Sheila, even though she literally ripped out someone's heart last week. Abby sat in the back of the car shaking, her face pale, blood soaking her clothes, skin and even matted in her hair. Sheila's undead heart clenched for her daughter who looks absolutely devastated. While Abby may have looked bad, Eric looked far worse. His breaths were ragged, each breath seeming to cause the boy pain, the wound on his neck had become discolored, the deep purple standing out as crimson blood continued to trickle out of the wound, having reopened slightly during the car ride. "Abby, honey, we're home," whispered Sheila trying to keep the situation as calm as possible for her already traumatized daughter.

"Mom, what's going on?" muttered Abby still somewhat in shock.

"You and I are going to go upstairs and get cleaned up, doesn't that sound nice?" whispered Sheila.

"But what about Eric, I can't just leave him like this," rasped Abby.

"Your dad is going to get Eric inside and Doctor Wolf will be here tomorrow to help check him over," said Sheila reassuringly.

"You're not putting Eric in the basement, and I'm not leaving him alone, he needs me," said Abby sharply, seeming to snap out of her haze.

"Honey, it's for the best. We don't know what's going to happen when he wakes up. Besides the basement is comfortable, and I spent a few days down their and it wasn't that bad," said Sheila trying to stay positive.

"Mom, really? You chewed through a pole! And there's no way I'm letting you chain my boyfriend up in our dam basement!" snapped Abby.

"Alright, alright. Tell you what, we'll go upstairs, get cleaned up and have some girl talk in your room, and your father can keep watch downstairs while Eric sleeps on the couch," pleaded Sheila trying to bargain with the girl.

"But-" started Abby before Sheila cut her off.

"No, you can't be around him right now! When he wakes up he could be unpredictable, and that's no safe for you and don't think for a second that Eric would ever be able to forgive himself if he hurt you! He'll be safe with your father. Your dad doesn't have to worry about being bitten, and besides, Eric looks up to him and they trust each other, so Eric can trust Joel to help him with the transformation if he panics," soothed Sheila, rubbing her daughter's back.

"Fine, let's just go," muttered Abby, finally seeing her parent's reason and giving in. The two trudge up the stairs while Sheila texts Joel informing him of the change in plans. The two women rinse their hands and faces and take turns using the sink to scrub the blood from their hair. Once they removed the blood and gore maring their skin, Sheila stepped out of the bathroom before quickly returning, wearing pajamas, and handing a set to Abby. Mother and daughter haven't spoken since they headed upstairs, and Sheila can only watch as Abby huts the bathroom door. She stares at the blank door before it creaks open moments later revealing Abby, fresh tears rolling down the teen's face. Before Sheila can even reach out to her daughter Abby takes off, bolting to her bedroom. Sheila follows, shutting the door behind her, and watches as her daughter collapses onto the bed and lets out a heart wrenching wail. Sheila joins her daughter on the bed and strokes her hair.

"Shh, honey. It's going to be okay. Eric's a strong boy, and I don't think he's going to let one little bite stop him. It'll be alright, tomorrow Eric should wake up and he'll be like your dad and I, but he'll still be the same nerdy boy who could build advanced explosive devices as if they were a lego set, but could barely put two words together in front of you," smiled Sheila trying to hold the tears back to comfort her daughter.

"But what if he doesn't wake up? There was so much blood, what if he lost too much blood before the transformation could kick in!" cried Abby.

"Oh honey, he's going to be fine, I mean Gary transformed and well, there wasn't really anything left of him," soothed Sheila stroking her daughter's hair, until Abby's sobs quieted into soft snores.

Meanwhile with Joel and Eric, after watching his wife and daughter disappear into the house, Joel looked at the broken and bleeding teen, that he'd come to see as a son. "Dam it Eric, you really threw us for a curve tonight! I'd expect reckless behavior like that from Abby but you were always the level headed one. The voice of reason for all three of us. And you know, I hate to say it but I'm glad you did. Thank you for saving my daughter, and I'm sorry we dragged you into all of this," breathed Joel. The older man lets out a sigh after hearing no response from the unconscious boy. Joel picks up Eric and carries him bridal style, only sagging slightly at the weight of the teenage boy. Eric lets out a weak moan from being jostled but remains unconscious. "Sorry kid," muttered Joel just as his phone buzzed. Setting Eric on the couch, Joel pulls his phone out of his pocket and sees the text from Sheila.

"Dam it Sheila, outmaneuvered by a teenager yet again," mumbled Joel. Joel reaches into his pocket and pulls out the handcuffs, latching one around Eric's wrist and the other to the coffee table. "Sorry kid, it's nothing personal," mumbled Joel as he heard the click of the cuff around the coffee table, effectively, chaining Eric to the offending piece of furniture. He turns to Eric, and chuckles. "Abby takes after her mother, Hammond women are definitely a force to be reckoned with. We sure know how to pick 'em don't we?" Joel chuckled as he draped a nearby blanket over Eric. He stops, as silence settles over the room as he receives no response from the unconscious teen. It's that silence that finally causes Joel to crack and he drops to his knees beside Eric.

"I'm so sorry kid, no one deserves to have this happen to them, especially to you. Sheila trusts you, Abby loves you and you're like a son to me. You're like part of the family, and now you've gotten hurt all because we dragged you into this, without even asking you. You're too kind for your own good and look what we've done to you. You didn't deserve this, and I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry!" sobbed Joel, his muted cries the only thing keeping the dreaded silence away.


	5. A Wolf In A White Lab Coat

The slam of a car door jolted Joel from his slumber, his eyes snapping open. "Sheila, Sheila!" he whispered, shaking his wife, causing Sheila to groggily roll over towards her husband.

"What is it, honey?" she mumbled, wiping the sleep from her eyes as she watched her husband grab his phone, checking the screen, before jumping out of bed, and rush toward the door.

"I need you to make sure Abby doesn't come downstairs until I give the signal," he plead.

"Why is something wrong with Eric?" she asked, her worry and panic for the young teenager, growing.

"Nothing like that, I stayed with him until 3:00am and there were no major changes," he soothed as Sheila visibly relaxed, "It's just that Dr. Wolf is here," he sighed opening the door as Sheila let out a gasp, worried for what this could mean for Eric.

Joel took off down the stairs rushing towards the living room, where Dr. Wolf already stood over a sleeping Eric. "What, why, how did you get in my house?" Joel whispered angrily, once he'd recovered from his shock at seeing the woman already in his home.

"Please, you think I can vivisect a variety of creatures, yet you're surprised I can pick a simple tumbler lock?" scoffed the blonde woman, casting a light glare at Joel for his ignorance, before going back to inspecting Eric. She pulls out a stethoscope, pressing it around to Eric's chest and checking his temperature, before pulling away to pull out a notebook from her pocket and jotting down some notes. "Now you said that when your wife transformed, it was just normal behavior followed by immense vomiting, the expulsion of a small organ, and the bleeding black?" she listed off, as Joel listened raptly.

"Correct, but we now know that those organs are sentient," Joel replied, shocked when the only reaction he got from the woman was a brief pause from her notetaking.

"Fascinating. Now was the transformation any different for yours?" she replied, not even looking up from her notebook, as Joel froze, stunned.

"No. Wait...what...how did you know?" he spluttered as Doctor Wolf snapped her notebook shut, to look at Joel.

"You haven't blinked in the last 5 minutes and you live in a house with your zombie wife, I can put two and two together. Now tell me, did she bite you during intercourse or were you attacked during a fight like this young man?" she asked, surveying a blushing Joel.

"Uh, neither, but we can talk about me later, I need you to help me with Eric. Something's different this time. He's the first person we've heard of to pass out from the bite," he snapped, getting irritated.

"Well I'll need to do some additional tests, but I've never actually seen this process so you and your wife may have to fill in what seems most abnormal to you if anything," she said opening the duffel bag beside her, pulling out several surgical instruments, before settling on a large blade, much to Joel's horror.

"What do you think you are doing with that? Get away from my boyfriend you psycho bitch!" shrieked Abby sprinting down the stairs with Sheila chasing close behind the frantic teenager. Once at the base of the stairs, Joel was barely able to keep Abby from lunging at the woman.

"I'm simply gathering some samples for testing. I've never seen the transformation before so I'd prefer to document this specimen before we have to put him down," replied Doctor Wolf, disappointed that she would be losing such an important sample to study.

"He's not some specimen, he's my boyfriend and you won't be touching him! And who told you that you'll be getting rid of him? He's not some lab rat that you can just play with and then dispose of when you're done," screamed Abby, wrenching herself from her parents' grip.

"Why isn't that the plan we agreed upon, right Joel? You told me to see if I could stop the transformation and in return, I could document as much as I needed before you and Sheila got rid of him, should we be unsuccessful," replied the disgruntled woman, straightening her lab coat as Abby turned to glare at her parents with the utmost rage.

"You two told her what!" snarled Abby her rage now switched from the doctor to her parents. "You told me you'd help him if he became like you guys!" she practically growled, putting herself between her parents and Eric.

"We're just worried that if Eric becomes, different, that it might tip of the Knights of Serbia," reasoned Joel, but Abby's gaze didn't waver.

"You see honey, we're just worried about you both, I mean what if Eric doesn't want to be like us?" soothed Shelia, seeing her daughter's look of betrayal. Not caring about the tension in the room, Doctor Wolf grabbed the scalpel, and with one fluid motion cut off a piece flesh from Eric's forearm, dropping it into a test tube so quickly that Abby didn't even have time to react as Eric's hand twitched in reaction to the pain.

"You bitch! How could you do that to him?" she sobbed, grabbing a nearby rag to stop the bleeding, wrapping her free hand around Eric's as Doctor Wolf placed a portion of the sample onto a microscope slide. Unfazed by the teen's outburst, the Doctor Wolf placed the slide onto a microscope on the kitchen island, making Joel wonder how long she'd been in the house before he came downstairs this morning as he strolled over to her.

"Well, has he transformed yet?" asked Joel, earring a negative nod from Doctor Wolf.

"It seems like something's off. Actually, would you mind calling the rest of your family down, it'd be easier to have to explain only once," muttered the woman as the color washed from Joel's face as he gestured his wife and daughter over.

"Is he okay? Like is he going to be in control like my parents?" said Abby shaking as she finally pried herself away from her seat beside Eric, desperately hoping that the change wouldn't alter the man she loved too much, for both their sakes.

"Well, the thing is, the bite doesn't seem to be reacting like what you described, in fact, his immune reaction, you would say, is anything but normal," she stated, earning a confused look from the family. Joel was about to ask a question, but before he could get a word out he was interrupted by a concerned Sheila.

"So is he one of us now?" asked Sheila walking over to her husband.

"No, in fact, quite the contrary, his body seems to be fighting the transformation, and it's winning," stuttered the regularly emotionless Doctor as the Hammonds looked at the slumbering teenage boy in pure shock.


	6. A Beast By Any Other Name

"What do you mean he's not transforming?" scoffed Joel, clearly just moments away from a freakout and barely struggling to keep it together.

"It means that the virus doesn't appear to be progressing," stated Doctor Wolf clearly transfixed by the phenomena in front of her in the form of an unconscious teenage boy as she placed the tissue sample under the microscope.

"So he's stuck like this?" asked Abby terrified of what was in store for Eric and devastated by the thought that Eric may never be alright and even if he did snap out of it, her parents may not take well to a half-zombie, should he prove uncontrollable.

"I'm saying that he's fighting it. Somehow the antibodies in his blood appear to not only be fighting off the infection but destroying it. I'm not sure how, but he's curing himself," stammered Doctor Wolf, unsure of what this data means for everyone involved.

"How is that even possible?" gasped Sheila, gazing at the boy who'd risked everything to protect her and family, and may just be the key to fixing everything.

"That Serbian book! It mentioned a cure, maybe the serum isn't the only option, maybe there is an actual cure!" cheered Joel practically jumping off the couch in excitement, but pausing when he saw how overwhelmed Abby was.

"After I left the last time I did find another page that mentioned a cure but it didn't work," sighed Doctor Wolf, genuinely puzzled as she looked down at the slumbering teen.

"What do you mean it didn't work?" asked Sheila as shed picked at her nails nervously.

"Turn to page six sixty-one, it's all there," muttered the scientist, pointing toward the briefcase by the door before running her fingers through her blonde hair. Sheila walked over to the bag, quickly grabbing the book and walking back to set it down on the coffee table. As soon as the book touched the table Abby quickly opened the ancient book before flipping through the ancient yellow pages until she reached the correct page.

"Abby, honey, you don't have to-," started Sheila before being abruptly cut off by her daughter.

"No. Don't say that 'I don't have to', that's utter bullshit!" snarled Abby, slamming her fist onto the coffee table, causing Joel to pause and even Doctor Wolf to pause and look up from her equipment, as they gawked at the teen's sudden outburst. "This has to do with helping Eric and curing you, so I want in!" she growled causing even Sheila to back down, the zombie knowing that she wouldn't be able to change her daughter's mind.

"Fine you can help, but we don't want you doing anything dangerous," replied Sheila, trying to meet her daughter halfway, but the teen wasn't having any of it.

"Oh dangerous like hunting people, blowing up a clam farm, and joining the Knights of Serbia?" huffed Abby, stunning both Joel and Sheila into silence. Sheila snapped out of her stunned stupor first and opened her mouth to retort before another look from her daughter caused her to shut her mouth with a "snap" when she realized that Abby had definitely given the shortend list.

"Wait, you guys know the Nights of Serbia?" asked Doctor Wolf her interest suddenly perking at the mention of the ancient organization.

"Yeah, dad's one and I'm his heir, but we don't really go to meetings with him being a zombie and all," said Abby, casually dropping the news that her father was now afflicted with the same condition as Sheila.

"Wait Joel, you're undead too? Why didn't you inform me!" scoffed Doctor Wolf with mock offense. "Wait are there others?" asked the doctor, her interest at its peak, her excitement clearly visible.

"There are three others that we know of," responded Sheila, still not willing to reveal their names.

"Two of which are closely monitored by us and the third checks in occasionally," chimed in Joel, making sure the scientist understood that they weren't being careless.

"What am I chopped liver?" called a voice echoing from down in the basement.

"Chopped something," muttered Joel to himself.

"What was that?" asked the scientist, shocked by the presence of another individual in the house.

"That'd be the talking severed head in our basement, who's also dad's new best friend," mocked Abby.

"Gary, shut up! We're doing something! And you don't even have a liver!" shouted Sheila.

"And whose fault is that?" called the mutilated zombie, causing Sheila to growl in annoyance.

"Found it!" called Abby, slamming the book onto the table with anticipation as she pointed to the page.

"What's it say?" asked Sheila, staring at the ancient text, unable to understand a single word on the yellowed pages.

"Something about a heart being both the key or the cure," murmured Joel, earning curious looks from the women. "What? Eric and I may have learned a little Serbian, it's nothing big," scoffed Joel. Sheila was prepared to comment but was cut off by Doctor Wolf's more complete translation.

"It says 'The heart of the enemy holds both the key and the cure,'" sighed Doctor Wolf. "I've looked further in the book but nothing mentioned anything about the enemy of the knights or the zombies,".

"What about those things?" asked Abby, pointing at the image beneath the text depicting a knight of Serbia in full armor, brandishing a large sharpened lance, a burning city in the background. But it wasn't the knight that drew her attention, it was the large snarling beast her finger was resting on, one of three in the image.

"I'm not quite sure what they are. They are far too large to be dogs, yet even the largest wolves in Serbia were never that large.

"Wait, I've seen something like this before!" shouted Joel rushing over to the bookshelf that he finally built a few weeks ago. Rushing back to the table he revealed what was on the page. The page depicted two Knights of Serbia fighting beside two large wolves and several humans with canine fangs and claws as they attack some zombies. "It's a history of the Knights of Serbia, and this was called the Battle of Prokleta.

"The battle of the damned," muttered Doctor Wolf, "What could they mean by that?"

"Supposedly the Knights had to team up with their enemies, these creatures, to destroy the Zombies, but not much is mentioned about them after that," sighed Joel.

"What are those things?" asked Abby, touching her hand along the faded ink of the fanged beast, it's yellow eyes seemingly staring back at her.

"It says was that these beasts were the enemies of Knights and all men, vicious beasts" murmured Doctor Wolf.

"And they called them, Vukodlak," said Joel locking eyes with those around the table as they stared at the image, it's yellow eyes glinting in the light.


End file.
